Managing Deferred Maintenance with Inspection Issues

What is this?

Not every problem needs fixing right now. A small oil leak, a cracked mirror, a worn belt that still works. These are real issues, but they can wait for the next scheduled service. Clue's inspection issues queue is your deferred maintenance backlog. Items stay visible until someone resolves them.

Who is this for?

• Foremen - Triage inspection findings. Fix the urgent ones now, defer the rest to the next PM.
• Mechanics - See what is waiting on a machine before you start a PM service. The backlog tells you what to add to the job.
• Equipment Managers - Monitor the size of the backlog. A growing list means deferred work is piling up.

How to use it

Step 1: Review inspection issues

Go to Asset Health > Inspection Issues. This is your backlog. Every failed inspection item, every operator-reported defect, every DVIR finding lands here. Each issue shows the asset, description, severity, who reported it, and when.

Step 2: Acknowledge and defer

For items that can wait, acknowledge them with a note. Tell the operator: "Noted. Will be addressed during the next PM service." The issue stays open in the queue but the operator knows it was seen.

Step 3: Attach to a work order or PM

When the next PM or repair work order comes up for that asset, check the open inspection issues. Add the deferred items to the work order so they get done during that service. This keeps everything in one job instead of creating separate work orders for small items.

Step 4: Resolve when done

After the mechanic completes the work, resolve the inspection issue. The history shows when it was reported, when it was acknowledged, and when it was fixed.

The full details

• Issues persist until resolved. Acknowledging an issue does not close it. It stays in the queue until someone marks it done.
• Full history. Every status change is logged: reported, acknowledged, linked to WO, resolved.
• DVIR issues auto-create. Failed inspection items from DVIRs appear in the queue automatically.
• Linked to assets. Filter by asset to see all open issues for a specific machine before starting a PM.

Tips

• Check the backlog before every PM. Open the asset's inspection issues before writing the PM work order. Add any deferred items to the job.
• Acknowledge quickly, even if you defer. Operators want to know their report was seen. A quick "noted, will address at next PM" goes a long way.
• Watch the queue size. If deferred items keep growing and never get resolved, the backlog is not working. Set a rule: nothing sits deferred for more than 2 PM cycles.